Re-Entry: COPPER

Patrick Blau 3347 Views ,

The COPPER CubeSat, launched on a Minotaur rocket as part of the ORS-3 cluster mission, re-entered on February 4, 2016 after over two years in orbit.

NORAD ID: 39386
Origin: USA
Object: COPPER
Type: 1U CubeSat
Mass: ~1kg
Inclination: 40.5°
Launched: November 20, 2013 – 01:15 UTC
Launch Vehicle: Minotaur I
Launch Site: Wallops, Virinia, USA

Re-Entry Prediction: February 4, 2016 – 06:47 UTC +/-40 Minutes
Re-Entry Zone: Unknown

The COPPER – Close Orbiting Propellant Plume and Elemental Recognition satellite is a 1U CubeSat that is equipped with a compact microbolometer array and an infrared camera to evaluate the suitability of using this type of technology for Earth observations and space situational awareness. The FLIR Tau 320 Microbolometer Array acquires 30 frames per second. Also, a Commodore payload is used as a demonstrator for a future mission, demonstrating basic interfaces and functionality of its radiation monitoring payload controller. The project is managed by the St. Louis University.

Re-Entry Orbit
Image: Spaceflight101/Orbitron
Image: Spaceflight101/Orbitron
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